


Outlaws and Thieves

by darthmelyanna, miera



Series: stargate_ren [17]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Renaissance, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-09-17
Updated: 2007-09-26
Packaged: 2019-10-01 00:49:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17234300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthmelyanna/pseuds/darthmelyanna, https://archiveofourown.org/users/miera/pseuds/miera
Summary: During her visit to Langford, Elizabeth faces the first consequences of Kinsey's treason, while Daniel and Laura deal with problems of a different sort.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The rating of this story is a bit higher than previously. We'll have a note on the section that isn't work-safe.
> 
> For **sache8** whose ideas and enthusiasm are always invaluable.
> 
> For the curious, **sache8** was recently in Europe, and while touring various castles, she decided to assign some of them to characters from this AU. Selected for Daniel's estate in Langford was the stunning Château de Chenonceau, in central France.

  
All her life, Elizabeth had heard about the duchy of Langford, the largest province in her realm and the birthplace of her mother. Even though she had never been able to visit the place before, as she traveled into the heart of the province, she felt that she knew it already from her cousin Daniel's tales and, earlier, her mother's.

She had thought that when she and her party finally arrived here, she would feel something akin to relief, a sense of returning home. But as the royal procession crossed the border into Atalan, Elizabeth felt only weariness mingled with anxiety from her visit to Iolan.

The days of traveling through the countryside should have given her time to compose herself. Refusing Prince Radek's proposal had been the final, bitter note of a visit which had seen more than its share of complications. Her personal romantic distresses paled in comparison to the discovery in Iolan of Lord Simmons, along with proof that he had conspired with the Goa'uld to try to murder her, and had also aided their invasion of Caldora.

But the journey to Langford had not been particularly restful. Elizabeth was anxious for news, feeling isolated from the world. At last they had proof that Kinsey had also conspired to kill her, yet she had heard nothing of the reaction in Atalan, even though Lord George, returning to the capital by the sea, would have reached home days ago.

Now, as they approached the village of Annendale, the seat of Langford province, Elizabeth found herself almost dreading their arrival, a cruel irony after having longed to see the place all her life. What would become of Kinsey? Had Daniel and Lord George been able to find further proof against him? Were there more men in her court who wished her harm? Now that her initial rage against Simmons and Kinsey had passed, how would she dispense justice against those who had sought to end her life?

One further point of dread remained, less important than the Kinsey matter and immensely more personal. During the journey from Iolan, she had concluded that she had been right to refuse Radek. It would have been wrong to marry him when she could not love Radek as he loved her, as he deserved to be loved by his wife. For all the political considerations hanging over her head in marriage, Elizabeth refused to accept that honesty did not trump everything else. But there was no chance that Daniel would be sanguine about the matter and agree with her immediately.

Laura was looking out the curtains of the carriage. She drew Kate's attention to something outside, and Elizabeth peeked out the window too. They were passing larger houses and smaller farms, drawing closer to the village.

Elizabeth wrung her hands restlessly. She and her cousin had been planning this visit for years, whiling away long hours of tedious work and study by talking of the places that had marked her mother's childhood, places Elizabeth longed to see for herself. But now that longing for some piece of her mother's past was shadowed by the anticipation of having disappointed Daniel. She dreaded seeing the look on his face when he realized she had refused Radek's offer of marriage, and she was not looking forward to the lecture she was sure to receive.

"They dress so colorfully," Laura commented from her place across from Elizabeth. "Even in Atlantis we do not wear so many colors."

As they entered the town, the streets were filled with people, all staring eagerly in their direction. Elizabeth pushed the curtains on the windows aside, permitting those they passed to catch a glimpse of her. She ignored Marcus Lorne, who kept his horse close to the carriage, and the way he frowned at her action. The captain of the guard had been understandably scared when Kate had been hurt by Lord Simmons the night of his capture, but Marcus had been reminding all three of them of an overprotective bear the entire journey home.

"Lord Daniel once told me that Queen Margaret brought many fashions from Langford when she married King Edmund," Kate said to Laura as she looked out the window next to her.

Elizabeth nodded. "Indeed. Those styles have not completely faded from court, but they do not seem to compare to this place." She waved to her people, and smiled when their cheers grew louder, feeling the tightness in her beginning to ease just a bit. These were her people. No longer was she a guest in a foreign land. There was that comfort, at least.

The carriage progressed through the main street of Annendale, allowing the queen to be seen by the people, before winding down a guarded lane toward the family seat. Though Elizabeth had seen drawings of the manor before, when they rounded a curve her breath was taken away.

The manor stretched across the width of the River Ligeia. Daniel had told her that it was built on the pylons of a huge, ancient mill that had once spanned the river. The architecture bore only the faintest resemblance to Atlantis, but at the same time it had a lightness and grace utterly unlike the massive stone structures in places like Neill and Hammond. The winding path up to the outer tower gave them all a clear view of the turrets fronting the building and also the extended manor behind. Another fortification ran alongside the back of the structure, beyond which was the far side of the river and the shimmering green forest. On either side of the path were extensive gardens. Even moving so swiftly, Elizabeth could see they were fastidiously tended.

The carriage drew up in the courtyard and Elizabeth momentarily forgot her myriad concerns in curiosity as Marcus aided her in leaving the coach. A bridge connected the main building with the land and the outer tower and stables, providing extra defense in case of an attack. Now, though, the afternoon sun reflected off the river's surface, illuminating the guard tower and the queen's banner, which flapped in the breeze almost lazily.

A large party was waiting near the narrow entrance to the bridge. Daniel was at the front and he stepped forward to welcome her with a warm smile. "Your Majesty," he greeted. In spite of the smile, his face looked somewhat haggard and he eyed her with mingled concern and relief. "Welcome to Langford."

She took his hand as he bowed and squeezed it tightly for a moment. She said formally, "Thank you, my lord. We are pleased to be here, to see our mother's home at last."

Daniel led her toward the group of people waiting and Elizabeth was pleased to see Catherine Littlefield standing next to a stern-looking, older man with little hair remaining on his head, but a gentle smile nonetheless. She concluded that he must be Catherine's husband, Sir Ernest Littlefield, the steward of Langford province. Though Catherine had frequently come to court and had even played chaperone for Elizabeth on occasion, her husband had always been too busy. Having seen the scope of just the manor's lands, Elizabeth could well understand why.

Elizabeth was in the process of greeting everyone when the proper and polite atmosphere was broken by loud barking. A white ball of fur suddenly barreled across the bridge and straight toward her. She could not help but laugh when she recognized the animal that began to run circles around her, yapping and wagging its tail happily.

"Sedge!" Elizabeth cried, delighted to see her beloved pet. The puppy had grown a great deal since she'd left Atlantis. She knelt and scratched her ears while the dog preened under the attention. "This is a surprise."

"Yes," Daniel replied, his voice sour though his mouth twitched in amusement. "She would not stand to be left behind. She made a complete nuisance of herself, so I made room for her to travel with me. I knew she would not behave until she saw you again."

Elizabeth giggled quietly, and then straightened up again. Daniel took the time to introduce everyone to her, from Sir Ernest to the head of the stables, Master O'Brien, who assured her that her horses would be well-kept during their stay. She was also relieved to see Peter Grodin, her personal secretary. Peter had remained in Atalan to assist Daniel in her absence, and Elizabeth had found herself missing his calm manner and competence during the trip.

Daniel led the queen's party across the bridge into a positive labyrinth of rooms. No doubt the layout of the building had been affected by the arrangement of the main areas of the manor on the river pylons. Elizabeth had found the palace in Iolan difficult to navigate. She knew she would be lost instantly here.

After Daniel ordered the servants to take her trunks to the suite of rooms that had been prepared for her, he said quietly, "I have urgent news that requires your attention, cousin."

The seriousness of his tone brought back all her feelings of apprehension, but Elizabeth steadied herself. "Of course." She turned to Kate and Laura and ordered, "Go and see our things unpacked and aired out. I will join you shortly."

The two women eyed her in concern, but only curtsied and murmured, "Yes, Majesty."

Daniel escorted her, Peter and Marcus to his study, further within the maze of corridors. The halls were decorated with beautiful tapestries, depicting scenes from stories and historical events alike.

Once everyone was inside Daniel's study, he said, "We received word of what happened in Iolan, Elizabeth, but by the time your official orders arrived, it was too late."

Elizabeth tensed further, her eyes going to Marcus, who looked wary, and then back to Daniel. "What do you mean?"

In spite of the unhappiness in his expression, her cousin did not mince words. "Kinsey escaped. We heard rumors that a Lord Simmons had been arrested and was being questioned. Kinsey left Atlantis soon after, claiming he had received word that his wife was ill. When Lord George returned with your order to arrest him, I sent out riders, but no one could find any trace of him."

Elizabeth's heart sank. It was not possible, not possible that after everything, that now when they finally had the proof of his treachery, this could happen.

Daniel's face twisted into an unconscious snarl that mirrored her own feelings. "He has vanished."

* * *

  
Daniel had been dreading the queen's reaction to the news of Kinsey's escape for days, bracing himself for anything from grave disappointment to an explosion of temper. But as he prepared for supper on the night of Elizabeth's arrival in Langford, he thought he would have preferred her to glower, or rant and rail at him for his incompetence – anything other than the dull misery that had greeted his most unpleasant news.

Instead of anger and blame, she had looked stricken for a moment. Then she sat down, staring at her lap for a long while as he stammered out the details. At length, she sighed and gazed at him with a tiredness that wrung his heart. She then told him it was not his fault.

Lord George had been saying as much since their first inkling that Kinsey had bolted. Rationally, Daniel knew that there had been no way for him to foresee that the vague rumors coming from Iolan meant anything regarding Kinsey. That had not stopped several members of the college of lords from implying that Kinsey's escape was Daniel's fault. Of course, in the weeks of Elizabeth's absence, everything down to the amount of rainfall in Atalan had been, according to some, Daniel's fault. That he was still on speaking terms with anyone in Atlantis was part miracle and part the handiwork of Peter Grodin.

And Daniel was still half-expecting Jack to appear at any moment to deliver a tirade on the subject of Kinsey's escape, the fury of which mere words in a letter would not have adequately conveyed.

But Elizabeth, who by Lord George's account had been in a towering rage at Simmons, had said almost nothing. She waved off his guilt and sat listlessly. He was almost hurt at the way she retreated into herself, irrationally disappointed that she was not more upset.

Daniel had immediately seen the strain the trip to Iolan had put on Elizabeth. The stress of such a long journey coupled with what must have been an impossible social schedule had clearly wearied her. The discovery of Simmons would have staggered a weaker person. And Lord George reported that to his knowledge no formal engagement existed between Elizabeth and Prince Radek. Daniel could not imagine that his cousin would have accepted Radek but said nothing to Lord George about the matter. It seemed quite possible that her pallor and fatigue might be related to Radek as much as Simmons and Kinsey.

Daniel made his way to the hall for supper, thinking of his past conversations with Elizabeth about the prince. Lord George could not ask Elizabeth about what had passed between herself and Radek, but he could. Between Kinsey and Elizabeth's tiredness, though, Daniel resolved to put the question aside, at least for tonight.

At supper, Laura chattered on about the trip to Iolan and even managed to draw Elizabeth into discussing some of the lighter points of the visit with Catherine. Daniel noticed Kate talked even less than usual. Lord George had informed him of the attack upon her, of course, and Daniel could see a faint bruise upon her pale skin. All through the meal she kept looking at Captain Lorne. Kate's recklessness had uncovered two traitors in the end, but in observing the way Lorne watched Kate, Daniel suspected that the young captain thought the cost had been too great.

The meal was progressing as pleasantly as could be expected until a servant appeared with a message for Ernest. He listened for a moment and then looked at Daniel in embarrassment. "My lord, I apologize, but it appears there has been another incident."

"Incident?" Elizabeth repeated in surprise. Lorne looked ready to leap up from his chair.

Daniel had been fervently hoping this particular situation would be resolved before Elizabeth arrived, but luck had not been on his side. He gave Ernest a small nod. His cousin would learn about this anyway. "Majesty, there has been a series of thefts in the village in the last week. The culprit or culprits are as yet unknown." Ernest turned to Daniel. "Lady Agnes returned from visiting her sister this evening to discover that a number of items were missing from her bedchamber."

"What has been taken?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Jewels, mostly," Catherine responded. "Some food and clothing have also gone missing, but it is unclear whether the two are connected."

"Is there usually a problem with thievery in Annendale?" Lorne asked, trying and failing to sound casual.

Ernest's eyes flashed despite his age. "No, there is not, sir."

"It is most unusual," Daniel put in before the tension could escalate. "And the timing most unfortunate. It was not enough that my people had to prepare for the arrival of both the queen and myself here at the manor. Now there is a thief preying upon the nobility of the area," he groused.

As he hoped, Elizabeth looked faintly amused. "Perhaps the thief thought you needed to spend more time with your nobles, my lord."

Daniel made a face at Elizabeth, who chuckled.

Ernest, apparently feeling his honor was still in question, leaned forward. "I assure you, Majesty, we will find this villain and deal with him in short order. We will station extra guards within the village immediately."

"I have no doubt of that, Sir Ernest," Elizabeth said graciously. She turned to Lorne, "Captain, if you or your men can be of any assistance to the steward, please grant it."

Lorne nodded dutifully. "Yes, my lady."

News of the thief seemed to rouse everyone, and as the dessert course was brought to the table, the conversation resumed in a more lively fashion than before.

* * *

  
Entering the manor proved simpler than most would think. The large building rested on sturdy pylons in the middle of the river, so its only large scale entrance was at the front, accessible by drawbridge. However, there was another, smaller entrance between two of the pylons themselves, where supplies were unloaded from boats. It was not all that difficult to stow away on one of those boats and assist in unloading those contents, especially with the extra supplies and people being brought in for the queen's visit. A few little white lies about her status, and Vala Mal Doran gained entrance into the manor.

One of the housekeepers pointed toward a closed door a few feet away. "You'll find proper attire in there," she said, eyeing Vala's faded, careworn clothing disapprovingly. "Lord Daniel's servants must be a credit to him."

Vala bowed her head. "Of course, ma'am," she said, the picture of submission.

She entered the small room and found racks of clothes. The Duke of Langford, it appeared, provided uniforms for those who served him. Vala glanced through the dresses and grabbed one that would be long enough to fit her tall frame.

Wearing the apparel of a maid, she went virtually unnoticed, carefully blending into the routine of the manor. She was able to walk with a fair amount of freedom, even into the private rooms of the nobles. Still, with Queen Elizabeth in residence, the number of guards was far higher than what would normally be present in a manor house of this size.

But still, the location was sufficient for now. She would wait until the time was right to move.

* * *

  
Kate felt slightly guilty when Laura insisted on attending Elizabeth until the queen was in bed. She tried, once, to suggest that Laura had business of her own to attend to, and Elizabeth had agreed, but Laura flashed a dangerous look at them both. Kate said nothing more regarding Laura's husband, who was no doubt waiting for Laura in their room down the hall.

She and Laura had little trouble coaxing Elizabeth to rest. The queen was more tired than either of them. "Perhaps she will finally sleep better, now that she is back on her own soil and near family," Laura said lowly as they exited the room and closed the door. Marcus Lorne was in the antechamber and he nodded to them both, though he eyed Kate with a familiar frown.

"I think we all have been waiting to breathe again," Kate observed. Marcus shot her a look at that.

Laura glanced between them in silence for a moment. "Well, I suppose I should retire," she said wryly and headed for the door.

Kate moved to stand near the window. The evening breeze was soft and warm and she could see the torch-lit drive that led to the manor, stretching out into the dark forest like some enchanted path in a fairy tale. Marcus stood beside her, and Kate felt him looking at her more than the view before them. The quiet between them was not entirely comfortable, but Kate nonetheless was glad to have some time alone with him. There had been precious little privacy during the journey from Iolan.

"It is beautiful here," Marcus said, drawing Kate from her thoughts.

“Yes,” she replied. "I have to wonder how King Edmund ever convinced Queen Margaret to leave it."

Marcus smiled. "Lord Daniel has always said she cared for the king greatly." He reached out and laid his hand on her smaller one, squeezing it gently.

Kate's own smile tugged at her lips. She looked from their hands to his eyes. "Would you leave Atlantis for someone?" she asked.

Marcus' gaze rested on her face as he closed the space between them. He reached up with his other hand, his fingertips caressing her cheek lightly before pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Perhaps," he replied, leaning closer. "If it was the right person."

"Marcus..." Her voice was faint as he kissed her just below her ear. "Someone might come in."

He shook his head. "Everyone's turning in for the night," he murmured just before their lips met. Kate had little desire to argue with him, and was content to wind her arms around his neck. She shivered when his hands swept up and down her back, pulling her flush against him.

Ever since Frank Simmons' violent attack on her, Marcus had rarely let her out of his sight, or the sight of one of his men. She was aware that two guards now regularly trailed her and Laura, even when they were not with Elizabeth. But it was not just the close brush with danger. Their fierce arguments over her behavior with the Marquis of Kensmere still lingered between them like a shadow. There had been no opportunity to talk about it, and if she was honest, Kate did not wish to hurry that conversation. She was aware that she bore part of the responsibility for their disagreement, but she was skeptical of whether her gallant captain would be as willing to acknowledge his own guilt as he was to draw his sword to protect her.

Marcus pulled away first but kept his arms around her loosely for a moment. Given the contentment on his face, Kate did not believe that he noticed the sudden solemn turn of her thoughts. That look made her heart soften and yearn to just forget everything.

A low noise in the hallway broke the illusion of privacy and his arms fell away. Unable to resist, she caught one of his hands and interlaced their fingers.

"Lord Daniel looked positively worn out this afternoon," she commented quietly as they let the night air flow between them. "I don't think he fully understood, before now, the stress Elizabeth deals with every day."

Marcus nodded. "It seems the pressure has not lightened since he came to Langford. I met with the captain of the village guard just now, and he told me more about the thefts in Annendale. This thief has left them very little in the way of clues to his identity, if indeed it is one person alone."

"And with the news of Kinsey coming from us in Iolan, only to have him elude capture," she murmured. "The poor man seems to be at his wits' end."

"Did you get any sense of the queen's reaction to that news?" he asked.

"Not really." Her forehead creased as she thought back on Elizabeth's behavior earlier in the evening. "I cannot say if she is truly at peace about it or if the tiredness from the journey was affecting her."

Marcus leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently. "Speaking of tiredness, it was a long day, and you need rest yourself." His eyes darted to the bruises on her throat. They had faded almost entirely now, but Kate suspected the memory of them would never completely fade for either of them.

She was not inordinately tired, but not wanting to fight with him, she yielded. "Then I bid you good night, sir," she said with a playful curtsey.

Marcus smiled at her. "Good night, Kate," he whispered, bringing her hand up to his lips.

Kate felt a pleasant shiver go through her body and she smiled. She stretched up to kiss him lightly, and against his lips she replied, “Good night, Marcus.”

* * *

  
When Laura woke up the next morning, it took her a long moment to recall where she was. She had not had time to fully get used to her new chambers in the palace in Atlantis before the queen's party had set forth for Iolan. Now she stared up at yet another set of unfamiliar bed curtains in confusion before remembering her location.

She listened carefully for a moment. There were no sounds from the hallway to indicate that the queen was already up, and outside the bed curtains the light seemed dim enough to be early in the morning. She could remain in bed for a little while longer.

She stretched her body carefully. Even that small movement caused Carson to shift, tightening the arm he had about her waist. She smiled a little at the move, but it faded quickly.

Marriage was not precisely what she had expected. Of course, that was probably true of everyone, but Laura was a little worried.

Not a day seemed to go by that either Kate or the queen did not suggest that Laura should be doing something other than her work. Simple tasks which she had always undertaken on the queen's behalf suddenly were being taken away from her. It was only in the aftermath of her injuries that Laura was able to convince Kate to allow her to help with duties which had once been shared between them.

Elizabeth had spoken before the wedding of how the three of them would find a balance with Laura's duties and her married life. Laura had foolishly thought that meant an actual balance rather than this incomprehensible and frustrating tendency to treat her as if she should spend all her days chasing after her husband to wait on his every whim.

In fairness, none of that was her husband's doing. He seemed to have no qualms with her being away from his side for hours a day attending the queen. Indeed, much of his time in Iolan had been spent conversing with other physicians and scholars in the country. More than once, when ejected from the queen's chambers, Laura had found herself alone, waiting for Carson to return.

He was always back by nightfall, of course. Though Laura had noticed they tended to undress for bed with their backs to one another still, like courteous strangers. At least while they were not under the blankets.

Her wedding night had been... strange. It had been more painful than she had anticipated, though she knew Carson would never hurt her intentionally. Laura was starting to understand what some of the women in the court in Atalan had meant when they spoke of the marriage bed being part of a wife's duties. There seemed to be very little about being taken to bed by a man that was in any way romantic.

Oh, it no longer hurt, and most of the time it was even pleasurable. But Laura felt a furtive sense of disappointment. The fevered promise she had always felt in Carson's caresses hadn't been fulfilled.

Her husband shifted again, and she felt a tell-tale pressure against her backside. The previous night had been a rare one since their wedding where Carson had been tired enough to simply fall asleep. Laura had lain awake until she heard him snore softly and was able to relax. She was not eager for him to wake in this condition.

Fortunately for her, she heard the door open and Kate's voice giving direction to someone. Turning, she brushed a perfunctory kiss against Carson's lips before slipping out of the bed and beginning to get dressed.

* * *

  
Morning brought no news in the search for the thief in the village. Daniel went himself to speak to Lady Agnes and the magistrate in Annendale about the matter. The robberies had been going on for nearly three weeks now, and the thief, whoever he was, was no common pickpocket. On his way back to the manor, Daniel ordered that the gates at the end of the lane be shut at all times as a precaution, though he doubted even this clever villain would attempt anything so foolish as to try to rob the most fortified and heavily-guarded building in the province. Had he not been in residence, the story perhaps would have been different.

Elizabeth spent the morning with Peter Grodin, going over correspondence and other business that had been kept for her. After luncheon, Daniel took Elizabeth, Kate, Laura, and Carson on a tour through the manor and out into the extensive gardens, where Sedge took great delight in running about and barking at imaginary foes. In truth, he ended up walking and listening while Catherine conducted the tour and managed to embarrass him several times over.

Elizabeth was less lively than Daniel had hoped to see her after a night's sleep. He thought she would have been eager to tell him of all the things she'd seen in Iolan regardless of the outcome of the trip, but instead she avoided eye contact with him. There were clearly a great many things on her mind, and there was a hint of dread in her posture as well.

When they were finished with afternoon tea and the dishes were cleared away, Daniel decided not to delay the inevitable any longer. "My lady, will you join me in my study?" he asked. "We have a great many things to discuss."

Elizabeth looked resigned. "Certainly, cousin," she said. She bade Laura look after Sedge as they departed.

They walked back to his study silently, arm in arm. Daniel could tell Elizabeth was steeling herself, which didn't make him feel any better about the conversation they were about to have.

Lorne followed them, but stood outside the study and closed the door. Elizabeth sat down at a table wearily. "Daniel, tell me everything we know about Caldora's situation," she said quietly.

"Sir Jacob sent word that the Tok'ra are sending a force to aid the Caldorans," Daniel replied, leaning against his desk. "He did not know when, however."

"Good," she replied, sighing in obvious relief. "What else?"

"There is not much more news," Daniel said. "Our messengers have brought back word that there is a refugee crisis in Madrona."

Elizabeth frowned. "Madrona?"

"A city just across our border, in the province of Sheppard," he explained. "My understanding is that the late marquis ordered the evacuation of the rural population into the more fortified cities, and it was at Madrona that he died."

Daniel watched half a dozen emotions flash across Elizabeth's face at the mention of John of Sheppard's province, and of his father's recent death. She looked down for a moment. "Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

She knew the answer to that, of course. He crossed the room then to stand before her and take her hand, the hand on which Radek's betrothal ring should have been. "Elizabeth," he began, a little exasperated, "why did you reject him?"

Elizabeth stood, abruptly pulling her hand out of his as she walked away. She did not attempt to deny that Radek had proposed, or that she had refused him. "Cousin," Daniel said tiredly, "you must explain yourself eventually."

She looked at him darkly. "Must I?"

"Yes, Elizabeth, you must," he answered, his voice hardening. "The college will want answers when you return to Atlantis, and I cannot help you if I do not know what your reasons were. Radek of Iolan was the best candidate to be your husband and you know it. I thought we talked about this!" His voice was climbing with his anger.

"I sought your opinion, not a mandate," Elizabeth fired back, somewhat petulantly. "I'm a grown woman, Daniel. I rule a country. Can I not choose for myself?"

"And what has this choice gained you?" Daniel asked. "You've returned without a husband, having refused the suit of an old and trusted friend who genuinely cares for you, the one man we know we can trust, and who knows if you have offended one of Atalan's oldest allies by refusing his suit?"

"I have hardly damaged relations with Iolan," she retorted in irritation, pacing the length of the room. "If anything, they are the ones who have damaged relations with us, having harbored a man who had tried to kill me twice."

"That is not the point, Elizabeth," he pressed, refusing to let her sidetrack their argument.

"And this is not your life, Daniel!" she bellowed, her temper finally breaking free. "You already forced one husband upon me, and you saw how that ended!"

He clenched his fists. "We let you decide–"

"And what a decision that was," Elizabeth interrupted, her tone laced with sarcasm. "I could read between the lines. You wanted Kinsey gone, and you all thought he was a threat to me."

"He was!"

"So I had no choice. I could marry a man who was old enough to be my father, or disregard you all and place myself in danger. What choice was that?"

Daniel swallowed hard. He and Elizabeth had never spoken of this, not since Simon's death. His own reservations about the arrangement surged in his memory, along with his cousin's young and frightened face on the day of her wedding. "Elizabeth, I never wanted you to feel forced into that marriage," he said slowly.

"Then why did you not tell me that then?" she demanded. Her voice dropped, and she sounded near to tears. "Do you have any idea how frightened I was the night before the wedding? The idea of being bedded by a total stranger, a man older than you or even Jack... You have no idea what that was like, Daniel."

A long silence fell between them as Elizabeth turned away, struggling to master herself. Guilt gnawed at Daniel, but he turned back to the subject at hand. "Elizabeth, what does this have to do with Radek?" he asked, careful to keep his voice low. "Surely you would not harbor such fears about him?" The prince's behavior towards her had always been so careful and correct.

She shook her head but did not meet his eyes. "I could not feel anything more than friendship for him, Daniel," she said, her voice cracking. "I could not marry him on so little."

"That is no little thing," he snapped, thinking of the conversation they had had six months ago, before winter set in. For a queen, friendship with her future consort was an immense advantage. He had thought she understood that fact. He never thought she would behave like a silly, lovesick schoolgirl with romantic notions about true love in her head. "Tell me, Elizabeth, did you even try?"

"I did!" she cried, whipping around, her face full of anger and hurt. "I tried, Daniel. But you have no idea what it is like to accept the courtship of one man while–"

She stopped abruptly, and Daniel staggered with a realization. She had cast Radek aside because of John of Sheppard.

How could she have been so impulsive? How could she have turned away the best prospect of marriage for a man whose future was so unsure? A man she probably would never lay eyes on again? What in the name of hell had John of Sheppard done to her?

"He is not coming back, Elizabeth."

Elizabeth recoiled. "You don't know that."

"He's not coming back," he repeated forcefully. "He's in the middle of a war. I don't know what promises he whispered to you while our backs were all turned, but you don't even know if he is still alive!"

Elizabeth paled in anger and Daniel felt a prick of guilt. She turned as if to quit the room but the door opened before she could reach it and Ernest entered. The older man bowed hastily. "Forgive me, Majesty, my lord, for disturbing you. A party has arrived at the gates, requesting entrance."

"Did they give a name?" he asked, struggling to appear calm.

Ernest nodded, his eyes darting to Elizabeth briefly. "Yes, my lord. It is Lady Georgiana, the Countess of Kinsey, who begs an audience with her Majesty as soon as possible."

Daniel's jaw dropped. Kinsey's wife was here? What was this? Perhaps some trickery, one final attempt on Kinsey's part to end Elizabeth's life even though he himself was now a known traitor?

Their argument temporarily forgotten, Elizabeth looked at Daniel in mute shock. He hardly knew what to think, but curiosity won out, and he saw his cousin's silent agreement.

"Permit them entrance," he ordered, "but the entire party will be kept under close guard. The men are to turn over all their weapons before entering the grounds. Only the lady herself will be permitted to the queen's presence."


	2. Chapter 2

The argument with Daniel had shaken her, but Elizabeth did her best to compose herself as they walked briskly toward the main hall. Had she been less preoccupied, she would have stopped short and stared at the room when she entered. It was the width of the whole manor, with open arches overlooking the river on both sides. It would have made for an excellent ballroom, but for now it had to suffice as a courtroom.

She walked the length of the marble harlequin floor and took her seat in the room's only chair. She did not have to wait long before the royal guards brought in the Countess of Kinsey.

Kinsey's first wife had died some years earlier. His remarriage had been to a much younger woman of a noble family from his own holdings in Atalan. This second bride, named Georgiana, was an elusive creature few had seen in years. After the marriage she had attended court in Atlantis, but it had been some time since she had stirred from Kinsey's province, which gave him more leave to do as he pleased in her absence.

The massive doors opened. Elizabeth, knowing Kinsey's love for extravagance, expected an equally lavish display from his wife. However, no such spectacle was to be seen. A short, thin woman entered the hall, wearing a simple cloak over a dark traveling gown. Nor was she alone, as Daniel had stipulated. Her hand clasped that of a little girl, no more than five or six years old.

Belatedly, Elizabeth remembered that there had been an announcement some years back that Kinsey's new wife had given birth to a daughter and named her Elizabeth. In her honor, Kinsey had said with perfect gentility and utter insincerity. She recalled scoffing inwardly and dismissing the matter from her mind.

The pair walked toward the queen at a stately pace, clearly intent on observing the niceties and dignities of their station, no matter how uncertain their situation was. When they arrived at the foot of the dais, the countess knelt down, her thick skirts settling around her bent legs. Lady Georgiana tugged gently on the little girl, who jerked and then dropped to the floor in a vain attempt to mimic her mother's graceful movement. If the situation were not so serious, Elizabeth might have smiled.

"Your Majesty," Georgiana began. Her voice was high pitched, possibly an outward sign of what had to be great nervousness. "I humbly thank you for agreeing to speak with me. I am unworthy of your generosity."

Elizabeth nodded but said nothing. She was not about to smooth the way for this conversation.

The lady drew in a deep breath and rose, the child following her. "A few days ago, I received word that my lord husband had abandoned Atlantis under the pretense that I was ill and he wished to see to my health. At that time, my health was under no hardship," Georgiana stated. "He arrived at our home a day or two later, but left the next morning. Not far behind him was a contingent from the capital. They arrived with the declaration that my husband was a traitor and that his lands were forfeit to the crown."

"Indeed, this is so," Daniel said, his voice and expression stern. "It has been proven that the Earl of Kinsey was involved in more than one attempt on her Majesty's life, including the plot that ended the life of her husband, Simon Wallis."

Georgiana was clearly shaken by the lack of sympathy in Daniel's voice, but she steadied herself. She looked at Elizabeth beseechingly. "Your Majesty, I give you my word, I had no part or knowledge of Lord Robert's treasonous dealings." She paused for a moment, glancing down at her daughter, who seemed to have little idea of what was happening and was content to look around at her surroundings. "Nor did my child," she added, her voice softer.

"Can you speak for your stepson?" Daniel demanded. Kinsey's son and heir was, like his father, still unaccounted for. "Is he innocent of any wrongdoing? Or has he too taken part in this hideous subversion of which you claim to know nothing?"

Georgiana seemed to wilt under every severe word, and must have taken the queen's silence as a bad sign. Elizabeth could see the flare of desperation in her eyes. "My lady," she said, her voice rising, "I beg you, please believe me! I would gladly offer you any proof or assistance I could, but when my husband returned, he burned every paper he had kept."

"And you made no move to stop him?" Daniel asked pointedly.

"I-" she began but shrugged helplessly. "I had no idea of what was then happening, my lord. My husband was not in the habit of keeping me apprised of his business."

Daniel appeared unmoved. "Can you explain how it is that you came to be here? Soldiers of the army were with the men who arrived at Lord Robert's estate. How were you able to leave the place at all?"

Off to the side, Marcus shifted slightly, and Elizabeth suspected this question was of particular interest to him as well.

The lady looked slightly abashed. "I was able to persuade them, my lord, that my daughter and I presented no threat to anyone." Georgiana avoided Daniel's eyes but met Elizabeth's questioning look. She thought she understood. The tendency of some men to dismiss all women as unimportant was sometimes the most valuable tool in a woman's arsenal.

"And your guards?" Daniel retorted.

The tiniest hint of annoyance flickered across Georgiana's face, though she masked it quickly. "Are tasked with protecting myself and my daughter, my lord."

Elizabeth stared down at the woman, thinking carefully. This could just be a dramatic show of terror and remorse, intended to keep at least part of the family of Kinsey in the good graces of the crown.

Daniel had raised an eyebrow, the only indication of his curiosity. She could see he too felt this would take more time to decide. After a moment, she nodded. "Lady Georgiana, we will consider your situation. You and your daughter will remain here until we have decided what we will do with you." Marcus and the royal guard closed about the woman immediately, their presence not entirely comforting.

The lady looked torn between relief and fear. "Thank you, Majesty," Georgiana said tremulously, curtsying deeply. "Words cannot express my gratitude."

The guards escorted Georgiana and the child away. Once they were out of the room, Elizabeth ordered in a low tone, "If she so much as looks out her window, I wish to hear of it."

"Yes, Majesty," Marcus replied.

"What do you intend to do, Elizabeth?" Daniel asked. There was a slight challenge in his voice and her temper flickered to life once again.

"Just what I told her," she replied. "I will consider her situation. At the very least, the child is innocent of any wrongdoing and deserves mercy. But the woman has been kept within Kinsey's lands and away from Atlantis for years. If the lady was a part of her husband's conspiracy, then she likely would have been in the capital far more than she has been."

"She is Kinsey's wife," he shot back. "How could she not know?"

He had a point, but Elizabeth rose and turned to face him fully. "Not all women have had the good fortune to marry someone on equal footing, cousin," she informed him coolly.

With that, she left the room.

 

* * *

After spending the day exploring and calculating carefully, when evening fell Vala found herself in a corridor that was momentarily unoccupied. If she had studied people's movements enough, this was where the queen, her ladies, her physician, her captain of the guard, and the duke all kept their chambers. The lack of guards suggested no one was currently within.

She had not really intended to spend any time in the manor stealing things, but the temptation was too strong. No one would suspect that the thief plaguing the province was going to hide in the manor, which was why she had gone there in the first place. Would it not follow that she could pilfer a few things unnoticed?

Choosing the third door on the right, Vala glanced around one final time before slipping inside. She was in luck. She had chosen a door that opened directly into a bedchamber.

A quick study of the room led Vala to the dressing table tucked in the corner. She smiled upon inspecting it further. The room was obviously host to a lady of some wealth. The brush upon the table was an artfully-decorated instrument, made of ivory from the faraway southern lands. There was also a pair of pearl-studded combs laying on the lace-covered surface, as well as a closed jewelry box.

Vala had always had the deepest appreciation for fine craftsmanship. She ran her fingers along the lovely carved lid of the jewelry box before lifting it. Inside were several pretty, certainly expensive, ornamental pieces: a beautiful gold chain with an emerald pendant, several pairs of earrings ranging from pearls to diamonds, a few bracelets, and even a cameo bearing the profile of a distinguished-looking woman.

If she had not been trying to stay silent, Vala might have squealed with glee. These all would fetch excellent prices once she was far enough away. She certainly wasn't foolish like some thieves she had known who would steal from someone and go just down the street to sell. She wouldn't sell any of her prizes until she was well out of Langford province, possibly Atalan altogether.

In the fading light she lifted several of the pieces from the jewelry box and examined them, mindful that only a few items could go missing without drawing attention. She settled on the earrings and a delicate chain containing a rare sapphire and slipped them into a small black bag. Then she made sure to replace everything else, though her fingers lingered over the hair combs for a moment.

The sound of laughter from the corridor cut through the silence. It was time to disappear. She looked around, searching for a way out.

The door was flung open, revealing a well-dressed young lady with red hair on the arm of a handsome, dark-haired gentleman. All three froze for several moments, the two staring at her and Vala staring right back.

"What are-" the man started to speak, but Vala cut him off by bolting for the nearest door. She had to get out. The game was over, and she probably only had seconds before the guards arrived.

A hand landed on her shoulder. Another grabbed her hair and pulled her away from the door. Vala gasped at the sudden pain and struggled to get away from her assailant. Her foot connected with a leg but the fingers only twisted tightly against her scalp, causing her to cry out. She managed to turn to see that it was the lady who had leapt at her, preventing her escape.

"You," she gasped, "are not my maid. That much I know."

Vala opened her mouth to reply but the lady's companion appeared in her line of vision, and he was not alone. Behind him were two burly men in the black uniforms of the royal guard.

They rushed forward and grasped Vala's arms, allowing the lady to step back. As she did so, she snatched the bag from Vala's hands. The gentleman appeared rather alarmed. "Laura," he said, his voice scolding, "that was most reckless-"

Laura poured her own jewels from the bag into her palm. "It kept her from robbing us blind, didn't it?" she asked pointedly.

"What should we do with her, Doctor Beckett, milady?" one of the guards cut in before the couple could escalate the argument.

The lady sighed. "Keep her here. I'll inform Lord Daniel. I don't think this place even has a dungeon."

* * *

 

The arrival of Lady Georgiana combined with the surprising capture of the thieving maid in her own rooms had kept Laura from sleeping well. She was up earlier than normal the next morning. She entered the sitting room of Elizabeth and Kate's shared chambers to find Elizabeth awake and dressed, seated at the secretary by the window and bent over a pile of missives. Through the open door behind the queen, Laura glimpsed a lumpy shape still buried under the bed linens.

"Majesty," Laura called. "Will you take breakfast here?"

Elizabeth looked up at her and smiled briefly. "Yes, Laura, have the food brought up." She glanced over at Kate. "She should wake soon and will no doubt be hungry."

"I will notify the servants," Laura replied, closing the door as softly as she had opened it.

She had not made it far down the corridor when she came upon Daniel, who was coming from the opposite direction. The older man's expression made Laura stop. "Good morning, my lord," she said, curtseying.

The duke jerked, almost as though he had not noticed her until she spoke, but he bowed his head slightly. "Good morning," Daniel replied. He stared at her a moment, and then inquired, "Laura, has the queen given you any specific tasks today?"

Laura wondered at the distant tone he used when speaking of Elizabeth, but knew better than to ask about it. "She asked me to have the servants bring breakfast to her rooms, but other than that, no, her Majesty has not given me any other orders."

"Good," he said, clearly relieved. "With her permission, then, I wish you to assist me in questioning the woman caught in your chambers last night."

"My lord?" she asked, surprised.

Daniel rubbed his face wearily. "Neither Catherine nor Ernest can recall seeing her before. There was a fire in the village last night and Ernest and the guards are still occupied with that, as well as ensuring no other robberies took place in the night. I find myself somewhat shorthanded, and since you were so instrumental in catching her, you should have the spoils of war in this case."

Laura barely stopped herself from grinning at the thought. "I would be honored to aid you, my lord," she said.

"Good," he replied. "Finish with the breakfast, and I shall go speak with the queen." He then bowed and hurried off the way Laura had come.

She continued on down the corridors, intent on getting to the kitchens and returning to Elizabeth's rooms quickly. She felt exhilarated. Finally, she could be of actual use to someone again.

* * *

 

When Daniel asked Elizabeth for permission to have Laura assist him in interrogating the thief, she agreed to it quickly. He rather thought she had done so to get him out of her presence as fast as possible, but he pushed the thought out of his mind. He did not need to fixate on his argument with Elizabeth right now.

Having nowhere else to put the thief, Daniel had jury-rigged a bedroom into a prison cell of sorts. Everything which could have been used to aid in an escape was removed, right down to the bed linens, and the window had been boarded shut from the outside. If this woman was indeed the infamous thief, Daniel would not let her slip through his fingers.

Vala Mal Doran was seated at a small table in the middle of the room, still wearing the tightly-fitted uniform of a maid of the household. Daniel had only seen her in passing the night before, for word of the fire had arrived almost at the same instant as the report that Laura had caught the thief. The woman's arms were crossed over her chest as she slouched in her chair. Daniel was surprised, however, by the delicacy of her features. Her hair was bound in a thick braid, but wisps had fallen down to frame her rather beautiful face. With very little effort he suspected she could pass for a lady in any royal court.

For some reason, that unsettled him.

But what bothered him more was the way Vala's expression and bearing changed when they entered. Her sullenness vanished and she sat up, looking Daniel over with a frank appreciation that was almost indecent. He hadn't felt so embarrassed by a woman's gaze since his wedding night, and the fact that he was fully clothed made it worse somehow. There was no way this was going to end well.

"Hello," she said breezily, as though she were a duchess receiving guests in her private sitting room. "Vala Mal Doran. Might I have the pleasure of knowing your names?"

Daniel pulled his thoughts to the reason for his visit. "I am Lord Daniel Jackson, Duke of Langford and cousin to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth," he said, injecting as much authority as possible into his voice. "I believe you have met Lady Laura Beckett."

Vala's eye cooled slightly as she looked at Laura. "I take it the guards have realized their mistake in apprehending me, and you have come to apologize for the inconvenience?" she said.

Daniel had to admire her gall, if only for a moment. "You were caught with stolen goods in hand, Mistress Mal Doran," he said. "By the woman from who you were stealing, in her own bedchamber, in full view of three other witnesses. And no one can seem to recall hiring you to be here in the first place."

Vala only shrugged, with a slight but maddening smile.

Daniel glanced at Laura, who took it as her cue to speak. "How long have you been in the country, madam?" she asked, her tone conveying a flicker of amusement.

"Oh, about a month," Vala replied. "Long enough to know of the other thefts in the duke's province."

Daniel just managed to contain his surprise at that proclamation. Was she claiming that her attempted crime was unrelated to the string of robberies that had started before his own arrival in Langford?

Apparently his thoughts were transparent, for Vala pinned him with a knowing look. "Surely, my lord," she said, "you did not think a woman capable of these crimes occurring up and down the countryside?" She batted her eyes at him in the most patently false show of innocence he had ever witnessed.

Daniel folded his arms across his chest. "All I know, madam," he replied crossly, "is that there is a thief in my province, and I have a thief before me."

"And I suppose there is no chance in your mind that I was taking advantage of the cover of another?"

"I thought you were not stealing," Daniel retorted.

She waved a hand dismissively. "As though you were ever going to believe that."

He opened his mouth to reply, but a knock on the door interrupted him. Peter Grodin was on the other side. With a bow, the queen's secretary handed him a letter. His name was written on one side of it, in Jack's quick scrawl.

Quickly, Daniel beckoned one of the guards to stand inside the room. "Laura," he said, "I must step out for a moment. Can you entertain our... guest?"

She smiled. "Certainly," she said cheerfully.

Vala looked almost wary.

Daniel left the room and hurried to the nearest private space, willing with every step that Jack's letter would not compound the mess he already had on his hands.

 

* * *

Barely had the door closed before Vala leaned over the table and whispered, "Is he still a widower?"

Laura blinked a few times. "Yes."

Vala smiled, her eyes twinkling with mischief, and Laura suddenly found it difficult to keep a straight face. "What brought you to Langford?" she asked, attempting to sober herself and continue Daniel's line of questioning.

Vala gestured to a chair and Laura, wanting to humor her, sat down. "I make my living as I can, Lady Laura," she replied. "I will be honest with you: sometimes it comes by thieving. I had understood that the duke is rarely at home, and when the lord of the manor is not at home, matters like mine tend to be less thoroughly prosecuted."

"Poor timing on your part," Laura replied casually.

"Yes, who would have thought Lord Daniel would choose this week to return?" Vala asked plaintively.

"It has been planned for months," Laura informed her. "Given that it is the first visit the queen has ever made to her mother's birthplace, it has been the talk of the province ever since the spring." Vala shifted slightly and Laura watched her closely. "Strange that after a month in the area you had not heard of this."

Vala's jaw snapped shut and there was a momentary pause. Laura decided to try and press her advantage. "But I can tell by your speech that you are not Atalanian."

"Indeed I am not," Vala said. To Laura's dismay, the woman relaxed. "Nor Caldoran, though I could wish I were. I understand your queen has a soft spot for them."

Laura glared at that.

Vala glanced at Laura's hands. "How long have you been married?"

"Three months," Laura replied.

"You seem rather young."

"I'm eighteen," she said, slightly defensively. She did not mention that she had not yet turned eighteen when she married, nor that many people had generously warned that she was too young to marry Carson.

There was an awkward silence. Vala passed the time by examining her fingernails. Finally Laura had to say something. "So where is home for you?" she asked.

"No place in particular."

"But you must have come from somewhere."

"That is a naïve assumption."

"Am I to assume, then," Laura asked, "that you sprang up out of thin air?"

"Of course not," Vala replied. "Even if I had sprung up out of thin air, as you say, I still would have been somewhere when it happened."

Laura looked down, trying to stifle a laugh. If nothing else, Vala was somewhat amusing, even when she didn't make much sense. The door opened again then, and Daniel returned. He glanced at the two women sitting easily together and suddenly he had the look of a man who'd just had a horrible realization. Laura did not entirely blame him. Had the circumstances been different, she could see herself liking Vala Mal Doran very much indeed.

* * *

 

As afternoon passed into evening, Elizabeth sat back in her chair and rubbed her eyes. Peter gave her a sympathetic look, and Elizabeth smiled ruefully. "Sometimes I wonder what I would do without you, Peter," she said.

"I am glad to be of service to you, Majesty," Peter said, with his usual modesty. "I believe we are through with the foreign reports."

Elizabeth nodded. "A good deal of the domestic issues may be left to deal with later," she replied, reaching down to pet Sedge, who was sitting by her feet. "I fear I am going to have to return to Atlantis before the week is out."

"You do not intend to abandon the rest of your plans for the tour, do you?" Peter asked.

"I hope not," Elizabeth answered, standing to stretch her back. "But I must deal with what is left of Kinsey's faction myself. I cannot leave everything to Lord George. Unfortunately this means I must cut short my time in Langford, but there will be other trips."

Peter nodded, though he looked a little disappointed. "What about the rest of the excursion?"

"Kate and I have spoken." She walked to the window, Sedge trotting along at her heels. "After what happened to her in Iolan, we agreed that she needs to see her family again as soon as possible. She will travel on ahead of me to Heightmeyer, and I will join her there as quickly as I can."

Peter was quiet for a moment while Elizabeth looked out at the setting sun. When she looked back at him, he asked, "May I ask what you intend to do concerning Lady Georgiana?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I wish I knew, Peter," she said. "Daniel thinks that by virtue of being Kinsey's wife, she must have known something. Jack evidently heard about it and wrote to Daniel to convey his complete agreement on the matter, but I am not so sure."

"She was not often at court, was she?"

"Not to my knowledge. I remember seeing her occasionally before her child was born, but never after." She paused for a moment, thinking about what that could mean. "Do you think it is significant that she abandoned her husband's home as soon as she had an excuse to do so?"

Peter tilted his head, looking thoughtful. "I cannot say," he told her, "but I believe in a situation like this, there is no such thing as a detail too insignificant."

Elizabeth turned his words over in her mind. "Whatever the case, I believe I should take her back with me to Atlantis," she said. "If she is truly innocent, then she and her child need protection that only Atlantis can provide."

"And if she is not innocent?" Peter prompted.

Elizabeth smiled, but the expression was humorless. "Jack has a saying," she replied. "Keep your allies at your hand, but your enemies at your breast."


	3. Outlaws and Thieves (3/4)

  
Having handled the most urgent of business that had accumulated in the queen's absence and in spite of the uproar in the manor over the mysterious Vala Mal Doran, the queen's party took a day trip into the country. Lady Catherine attended them to a great meadow overlooking a curve in the River Ligeia a few miles away.

Daniel did not accompany them. Of course, he had business to attend to, but Laura had deduced that Elizabeth had fought with her cousin. Elizabeth had not confided it to anyone, but Kate shared Laura's suspicion. They both hoped that the day away from the manor would ease the tension between the two.

Carson also stayed behind. Daniel came from a long line of philosophers, and his family's library rivaled any king's. Carson was whiling away many hours there, often in the company of the steward, Ernest Littlefield, with whom he seemed to have become fast friends.

The thought of her husband finding so much employment made Laura sigh. She was not jealous of him, exactly, but it seemed that no one expected him to alter his course simply because he had taken a wife.

Her state of mind did not go unnoticed, despite a wide-brimmed hat which she had thought could hide anything. Elizabeth shot her a curious look. "Laura, are you quite well?" she asked.

Laura nodded immediately. "It's just rather warm," she replied. That was true, though hardly the reason for her contemplative state.

Lady Catherine, sitting directly across from her on the large picnic blanket, narrowed her eyes. "Laura, would you be so kind as to take a turn with me?" she asked. "It will be cooler near that wooded area, and I would hate to see you too badly sunburned."

The hat would probably prevent that, but Laura was glad of the excuse. The two ladies moved off, a guard shadowing them from a distance. They talked pleasantly of nothing in particular for a while, but then Lady Catherine asked the question which Laura suspected had been the impetus for the walk.

"And how do you find married life?"

Laura opened her mouth to give the practiced answer she had given everyone, but then she realized that she might be able to ask Lady Catherine for advice that none of her friends could give. After all, when the men who had raised her and Kate and Elizabeth had come to the realization that they had to explain to the girls about the changes in their bodies and what happened between a man and his wife, they had turned hastily to Lady Catherine to impart that information.

"May I ask you a question?" Laura asked, instead of answering.

The older woman nodded.

"You were quite young when you married, were you not?"

Catherine hesitated only slightly. "Yes, I was a little younger than you are now."

"And when you were first married, was it..." Laura bit her lip for a moment, trying to consider how to phrase the question delicately. "Was it difficult?"

Catherine looked at her sympathetically for a moment. "At first, yes, some of it was. I knew that I loved my husband dearly, but I was young and he did not have the position he has now. It was difficult to be away from my family, and occasionally I wondered how I was to manage everything on my own."

Laura nodded. That had not really been what she had been asking.

"But I suspect you are referring to something else," Catherine said. Laura looked up to see an almost mischievous look in the other woman's eyes and her cheeks heated.

"Yes, actually," she said, embarrassed.

Catherine patted her arm. "That also took some getting used to. For all their good intentions, even the best of husbands need time to learn how to please their wives."

Laura looked into the trees, focusing on nothing in particular. "He is trying," she admitted.

"I realize these are not the words you wish to hear, but give it more time. With all the cares the two of you have to bear beyond your marriage, it may take longer than you would like for you to become truly comfortable with one another."

Laura wanted to deny it, because she had known Carson for years and they were already well-familiar with each other, but she knew Lady Catherine was right. She and Carson were still not used to sharing the bed every night, not yet. "How long was it until you and Ernest were 'truly comfortable' with each other?"

She almost took the question back, thinking it had been too personal, but with Lady Catherine those boundaries had disappeared long ago. "Three months, give or take a little while."

Laura scowled. "Three months?" she said, nearly whining with impatience. "We've been married that long already!"

Catherine laughed and began talking further about the relationships between husbands and wives. She had always been happy to give as much advice as a person could bear to hear and then some.

Listening to her, Laura abruptly recalled Jack's words to her at her wedding, that she should not heed the counsel of others but speak to Carson when something worried her. She thought perhaps – just this once – she should listen to Jack's advice.

That evening, before supper was served, despite Laura's best efforts to discourage them from pushing her away, Kate and Elizabeth succeeded in convincing her to leave them in order to see to her husband. Naturally, Carson was nowhere to be found, and Laura was left to fume in their bedroom, which was how Carson found her.

"Laura, what's wrong?"

"Carson," she said, "you have no difficulties with my spending much of my day with Elizabeth, am I right?"

"Of course not," he replied, bewildered. "What would give you that idea?"

"Elizabeth and Kate seem to think I should spend every waking moment tending to your needs," she began, and after that it was as though the floodgates had opened. "Every day one of them says or does something to make me feel unwelcome. Or worse, to make me feel guilty for supposedly neglecting you. But it is not as though I have a household to keep! When you are gone and they push me aside, I have nothing to do. Do you know how much time in Iolan I spent alone?"

Carson stood on the other side of the room and blinked a few times as she ranted. Laura tried to push aside her irritation upon realizing that he had no idea that any of this was going on. She hadn't told him, and she could not expect him to know by magic what she would not speak of. To her husband's great credit, he looked serious as he said, "Have you tried speaking to them about this?"

She had not brought it up in so many words, but trying to take her place once more had not gone well. "I don't know what to say to them," she told him, her voice getting unexpectedly rough. "It hurts a little, being excluded in this manner. I know that in some ways I have left them behind, but Elizabeth promised me that we would find a balance. This is not a balance. This is maddening."

Her husband crossed the room then and wrapped his arms around her. "Love, has marriage been anything like you expected?"

"No," she answered immediately, her face pressed against his chest, wondering if she was imagining the sudden tension in his body at the odd question.

"Then I think you may safely assume that Kate and the queen have no true concept of what marriage is like, and what they may expect of you," he replied. "They are doing what they think is best. Now, Kate is traveling to her parents while we travel to Atlantis, is she not?"

Laura nodded.

"Then, while Kate is away, you will have to take on all your old work as well as all of Kate's," Carson said. "If the queen still tries to push you away, speak to her about this. Plainly. Do not let it linger, but remember that she means well." He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head. It did not solve her problem, but she felt better anyway.

"Is there anything else?" he asked.

She paused for a moment before looking up at him. "What about you?" He looked confused, so she added, "Has marriage been what you expected?" She prayed he wouldn't notice the slight tremble she felt as she spoke.

Carson looked at her quietly for a moment. Then his thumb brushed against the curve of her cheek. "No."

Laura's heart stopped.

He smoothed her hair back from her forehead. "I know that it won't always be like this, that there will be difficult days and much work for us both. But being your husband has been a thousand times better than I ever expected."

She melted inside, and yet even as he kissed her lightly Laura wanted to gnash her teeth in frustration. She couldn't bring up her worries about what passed between them in bed, not now. Not after he said that. As grateful as she was to hear him talk that way, how could she respond to such affirmation with her anxiety and discomfort?

Perhaps Catherine was right. Perhaps she was too impatient, and simply needed to stop worrying about something that would happen in due time.

"Supper should be served soon," she said at length, still resting against him with Carson's arms holding her comfortably.

"Good," he said. "I was so busy in the library that I forgot about dinner entirely. I'm famished."

Laura laughed as they headed to the door, each with an arm still around the other. "How many times have I heard you scold Elizabeth for that offense, and yet you would do the same?"

"Well, it is different with me," he replied.

Laura simply rolled her eyes.

* * *

  
The day trip to the countryside did much to soothe Elizabeth’s strained nerves. The picnic lunch and the great beauty of the landscape were an irresistible combination, and she could not help but think of her mother flitting about through the forests and along the riverbank as a young girl. That night she slept more soundly than she had in weeks. By the next day, Elizabeth felt refreshed and ready to move headlong into the business waiting for her.

Though Laura was spending her afternoon with Daniel, again interrogating the thief, Elizabeth had ordered that the usual amount of food be brought for dinner. Kate would be with her, of course, but so would Lady Georgiana Kinsey. She had summoned the woman to meet her.

Once the midday meal arrived, Elizabeth sat down at the table and said, "See what is keeping Lady Georgiana, would you, Kate? The guards should have delivered her already."

However, when Kate opened the door, Georgiana was on the other side, members of the royal guard behind her. Kate hurriedly stepped back, allowing the lady to enter. Georgiana came in alone and curtsied to Elizabeth immediately. "Your Majesty," she said. "Forgive my tardiness. I thought this would be easier without my daughter present, but someone had to stay with her." She looked at the table in surprise. Elizabeth had deliberately not informed Georgiana of the circumstances of the meeting, the better to test her responses.

Elizabeth nodded. "It is all right, Lady Georgiana," she replied. Gesturing to a chair at the small table in front of her, she said, "Please, join us for dinner. We have much to discuss."

Georgiana stammered out a thank you and sat down quietly on Elizabeth's left, and Kate followed her example, taking the seat on the queen's right.

As the three ladies put food on their plates and began to eat, Elizabeth watched the countess. Her long hair was a darker shade than Kate's, and her eyes were kept demurely on her plate. She went through the motions of eating, but very little food disappeared. It was obvious she was terrified.

To fill the quiet, Elizabeth said, "Tell me about your daughter, my lady. I have heard nothing of her since I was informed of her birth."

Georgiana looked up then and behind the fear Elizabeth caught a flash of pride in the other woman's expression. She even smiled a little, lifting some of the lines of worry from her face.

"She has only recently come to the age to begin formal schooling, and I have not yet had time to appoint a tutor for her," Georgiana said. "For the moment, I have taken to teaching her myself in her reading and sums."

That was interesting. More than one of the noble women Elizabeth had met would have been terrible teachers of such subjects, even to their own children, being only passably literate themselves. Elizabeth nodded. "Have you considered allowing her to be taught by the Asgard?" she asked casually. "My ladies and I were instructed by them, as was another lady of the court."

Both Kate and Georgiana looked at her, startled. "I-I confess I had not had that thought," Georgiana admitted. "The Asgard do not often come to Lord Robert’s lands."

For all that the lady appeared surprised, Elizabeth could detect a mind rapidly at work as Georgiana spoke. Elizabeth had not mentioned the woman's daughter just to make conversation, after all, and the other woman had clearly guessed as much.

Elizabeth set her fork down on her plate. "Georgiana, I will be frank with you. Your husband's guilt is not in question. The proof is irrefutable." She watched as the lady's face lost all color. She thought she also saw a faint tremble in her hands.

Elizabeth was not finished. "But I also have no evidence at present to prove that you had any knowledge of his activities. And Robert of Kinsey was not known for trusting in the abilities of women beyond what is considered their lot by convention."

Kate looked down so abruptly that Elizabeth thought she was trying to suppress a snort at that comment. She watched as Georgiana slumped slightly in her chair, obviously relieved.

"Thank-" she started, but Elizabeth cut her off.

"However," she said, "it is also a known fact that your husband still has allies. Whether they had a hand in his treachery or not is something I do not yet know. In throwing yourself upon my mercy, it is possible that you have made yourself an enemy of those allies." She paused, taking a sip of her drink. "I will depart for Atlantis by week's end. You and young Elizabeth will accompany me back to the capital." It was clear that this was not a request.

Georgiana stared at her. After a moment, she said, "Forgive me, Majesty, but would it not make more sense for us to stay away from Atlantis, since that would be where Lord Robert's allies likely still are?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I cannot assure your safety anywhere else in the country," she replied. "In Atlantis you will be under constant guard, as are the men who were known allies of your husband." She did not add that if proof of Georgiana's guilt were found, the woman would be exactly where Elizabeth needed her to be. Judging by the lady's wide-eyed expression, Georgiana was aware of this as well.

"I-I see," she replied. "I shall, of course, do as you command, your Majesty."

For a moment, as they discussed the particulars of the journey ahead, Elizabeth felt a small sense of relief. This particular needle had been successfully threaded. In time she would turn to the greater work, how to cleanse and heal her country from the damages inflicted by a traitor.

* * *

  
Daniel was called into the queen's chambers late in the afternoon. He knew from Laura that Elizabeth was to have met with Lady Georgiana over luncheon, and he guessed that her request was to apprise him of the results.

Elizabeth was standing at the window when Daniel was allowed in, her dog sitting at her feet. Selfishly, he wished he had not brought Sedge with him, even though her appearance had brought Elizabeth such happiness on the day of her arrival. At the moment, the pet only reminded Daniel of the man who had presented her to the queen on Solstice, and by extension the reason for this great divide between himself and his cousin.

"My lady," he said, breaking the silence, "you sent for me?"

"Indeed I did," Elizabeth replied, coming away from the window, the dog trailing after her. "I have reached a decision regarding Lady Georgiana. She and her child will accompany me to Atlantis when I return in a few days."

"You wish to have control over her whereabouts," Daniel remarked.

Elizabeth nodded. "I believe she knows it, too. She is not an unintelligent woman."

Daniel sighed and rubbed his hand over his eyes. "You will have your hands full when you return to Atlantis," he told her bluntly. "Kinsey may have left a bigger mess than either of us have ever imagined."

"I am aware of that," she said. "What I do not know is if I will have your help."

There was something almost pained in her voice, and guilt stabbed at him. In the days since their argument, they had hardly spoken two words that were not steeped in formality. Yet Elizabeth was still young, still inexperienced, still in need of guidance at times. She was still his cousin, he was still her only family.

And she was still his queen.

"You always have my help and advice, your Majesty."

The words did not produce the thaw he hoped for, as the reference to advice seemed to strike harshly at her. She did nod in acceptance, though.

He might have gone on to attempt to renew the discussion of her refusal of Radek, hopefully reining in his own temper this time and resolving things between them for good, but she turned away from him before he could start, drawing back into the stoic figure he and Lord George had cultivated in her. Frustrated, Daniel took his leave.

That frustration propelled him in the worst possible of directions, yet he needed to vent some of his emotions, lest he snap again and lose his temper with his cousin. Daniel entered Vala's room knowing full well she was going to say something to make his blood boil, but that was almost the point.

Vala was examining her fingernails, and his entrance did not make her stir. "Lord Daniel," she said in an airy tone, "do speak to the cook for me about his serving me venison. It's far too gamey for my taste."

Daniel closed the door behind himself with a loud thud. The sound gave him a little satisfaction and caused her to jump slightly. "You will answer all my questions," he told her.

She turned to face him and sat up straight. "Were I a vain woman, I might think you were seeking my company for other reasons. Why is it that the lord of the manor is not content to leave the matter of a common thief with someone less important?"

Daniel sat down carefully in the chair opposite her. "I hardly think you need that explained to you, Mistress Mal Doran," he replied.

"Ah, yes, your young cousin, the queen," Vala said dryly.

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "How did you come to be in this part of the country?"

She did not bother to hide her irritation as she leaned forward. She stared at him for a long time, as though trying to puzzle something out. "Oh, all right," she finally said. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful maiden, innocently traveling–"

"You may spare me the hyperbole," Daniel interrupted. Vala cleared her throat.

"–across the countryside of Kelowna, where I was injured badly and taken in by a group of thieves. As payment for their services, I was forced to join them in their thefts until I had earned my keep. In hopes of returning to my normal life sooner rather than later, I decided to enter Goa'uld territory–"

"Goa'uld territory?" he repeated, his eyes widening. "Are you telling me that you willingly and knowingly entered Goa'uld territory?"

"Daniel, you must let me finish my sentences. It's very rude to keep interrupting me." He was still so shocked by her pronouncement that he barely registered the fact that she had called him by his given name. "I decided to enter Goa'uld territory and steal a few priceless paintings from Lady Qetesh." The name Qetesh was vaguely familiar; as Daniel recalled, she was a minor ruler with a reputation for rather lavish promiscuity.

"Unfortunately I, though quite talented and intelligent, took on a little more than I could handle."

Vala paused, undoubtedly for effect, but Daniel only stared back at her, attempting not to give her satisfaction for this performance.

"The attempt to rob Qetesh went terribly wrong," Vala continued when he said nothing. "Suffice it to say that I traded one master for another."

"How long were you their prisoner?" Daniel asked, thinking of Sarah Gardner and how reluctant she had been to speak of her ten-year ordeal at the hands of Osiris. The tiniest spark of sympathy lit in him for this woman, though it did not last long.

Vala tipped her head from one side to the other. "Six months, I believe. But only four months of that was I imprisoned in the traditional sense of the word."

Daniel's eyes narrowed, and all his suspicions of Vala rushed back. "Elaborate," he said flatly.

Vala shifted in her chair, clearly annoyed by the way he was ordering her about. "Four months after my capture, I was alone with my mistress. One moment she was fine, and the next moment she fell down dead."

He froze. "Dead?"

"As a door nail," Vala replied. "I suspect she was poisoned by one of her rivals. Qetesh's territory was not large, but it was rich. She had many enemies."

Daniel folded his arms over his chest. "And what exactly did you do?"

"I had only one option," she said smoothly. "Qetesh had guests arriving within the hour, and she could hardly greet them if she was dead."

It took a very long moment for him to wrap his head around what she meant. "You impersonated her?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied as if that should have been obvious.

"For the day, while the visitors were there?"

"For two months," she replied. "Qetesh developed a sudden interest in veils and scarves."

As if it hadn't started out incredible enough, the story was becoming downright outrageous. "So why are you not in Goa'uld territory pretending to be Lady Qetesh now?" he pressed, skepticism pouring from every word.

Vala hesitated for the first time in her narrative. "It became increasingly clear that I could no longer impersonate my late mistress."

"And what exactly prompted that insight?"

"Well," Vala said, now looking positively uncomfortable. "Lord Ba'al was coming through Qetesh's territory on his way back from Caldora–"

"Wait." His mood shifted abruptly from disbelief to utter shock. He was not even sure why he was willing to entertain any of this as truth, but the mention of the Goa'uld lord caught his attention. "Ba'al has left the front?"

"Yes, and I wish he had not," Vala muttered. "It seems that he and Qetesh were rather intimate."

His mind still half on Ba'al's apparent departure from Caldora, it took Daniel a moment to realize what she was saying. When he did, he burst out laughing. "You must be joking! Surely Ba'al did not attempt to–"

"I assure you, he did!" Vala spat. "He may be a handsome man, but I have standards." She straightened her posture, looking like an indignant cat.

Daniel had met Ba'al himself and could agree that he was a striking character. Elizabeth, though well aware of what Ba'al had once done to Jack, had been hard-pressed after her own encounter with him not to call him handsome and charming. Somehow that made Daniel all the less convinced that Vala had resisted any attempted seduction, even with her disguise at stake.

"At any rate," Vala continued, "I feared I had compromised myself, so I escaped as quickly as I could into Atalan."

"No doubt with priceless Goa'uld artifacts in tow," Daniel remarked.

She gave him a patient, condescending smile. "If I did that, my lord, what need would I have for stealing here?"

"I do not pretend to understand the criminal mind." He looked at her, and then placed his hands on the narrow table as he leaned toward her. "If I learn that any part of your testimony is false–"

He never got the rest of his threat out, for when he was close enough, Vala reached up and grabbed him by the back of his neck. Before he could do anything but grunt at the sudden move, her mouth was on his, and she was kissing him passionately.

At first he was too surprised to do much of anything but try not to fall over. Then, once his brain had returned for good, he managed to yank himself out of her surprisingly firm grip. "Why?" he demanded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

As she placed her hands in her lap under the table, she looked up at him demurely. "I've enjoyed our visits so much, Daniel," she said innocently.

He looked at her for another long moment before rolling his eyes, muttering to himself under his breath as he left to find his cousin again.

* * *

  
Laura saw Daniel leaving the prisoner's room, but he was so lost in his thoughts that he did not take notice of her. She was hardly offended. That was a weekly occurrence back in Atlantis, though she did think he looked more withdrawn than usual.

The guards at Vala's door let her in without asking questions. Vala was sitting at the long, narrow table when Laura came in, and she smiled upon seeing her. "Lady Laura! I was just wondering when you might join me. I believe I'm to have some sort of duck concoction for supper tonight, if you would be my guest."

Sometimes Laura wondered if Vala was fully aware that she was under arrest. The way Vala addressed them, as though she were the carefree duchess of the region, was bizarre, bordering on crazy.

"I'm to dine with the queen tonight," Laura replied, trying to play along and put the woman at ease. She walked over to the window, where faint slivers of light were peeking through the gaps in the shutters. "It's a shame this window had to be blocked," she said. "There's a fantastic view of–"

She stopped short when something sharp poked her in the back. She looked over her shoulder to see Vala suddenly standing behind her. Whirling around, she braced herself against the stone window sill. "How did you sneak up on me?" she demanded. Had the woman not been chained at the ankles to keep her from running?

"There is one trouble with leaving men to imprison women," she said wryly. "They never think that things like hairpins will be useful in unlocking one's chains."

Laura glanced about wildly, her eyes finally settling on the object which had poked her in the first place: a knife in Vala's hand. "How did you get that?"

"This?" Vala asked, waving the knife a bit. "The duke was distracted for a moment."

Laura swallowed hard. She did not feel that Vala was out to hurt her, but there was a sharp weapon between her and the door and she didn't want to risk any sudden moves. "There are guards right outside."

"Relax," Vala replied. "I don't want to hurt you. You're only going to get me out of here."

Blinking, Laura repeated, "There are guards right outside."

"And you'll tell them you're taking me for a private audience with the queen," Vala said. "Simple as that."

"And in reality?"

"You'll take me to the stables, where I will acquire my way out."

Laura looked at the knife again. "Do I have a choice?"

Vala smiled sympathetically. "I'm afraid not." But Vala hid the knife behind a fold of her skirt and nodded toward the door. "Shall we?"

Laura exited the room, Vala just behind her. The two guards were startled at seeing their prisoner free. "My lady, what is going on?" one of them asked.

"I'm taking Mistress Mal Doran to the queen for a private audience," Laura said, as she had been instructed. Then, without glancing at Vala or turning to look behind her, she deviated from the script. "Oh, and could you relay to the queen and Captain Lorne that I have not yet heard from the Dorandan ambassador?"

Vala hurried after her, so neither woman saw the looks on the guards' faces as they realized her meaning.


	4. Outlaws and Thieves (4/4)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now the conclusion! This would be the section that required the R rating for this story (which is for mild adult content).

Too agitated to observe the niceties, Daniel burst into Elizabeth's chambers without waiting to be admitted, much to the surprise of the queen and Lady Kate. Elizabeth glanced at the other woman, who exited immediately. "Daniel?"

"She was in Goa'uld territory," he blurted out.

"The thief?" Elizabeth gasped.

"I am not certain how much of her story is to be believed, but–"

"Wait," she interrupted. "What did she tell you that you do not believe?"

Daniel hesitated for a moment, but decided to be as succinct as possible. "She told me she spent some time impersonating a now-deceased Goa'uld noblewoman."

Elizabeth blinked several times. "Well, I was not expecting that," she replied. A touch of reserve crept over her face. "But why is any of this important to me? Laura's belongings were returned immediately. I assumed you would handle this matter yourself, since it concerns only your province."

"She met Ba'al. Recently," Daniel added before she could ask. "He has left the front, Elizabeth. Your message must have had some effect for him to leave his troops in Caldora and return to his lands."

Daniel could see that Elizabeth's mind was racing, trying to determine the implications of this. He himself was fairly bouncing in place. Elizabeth had been right to overrule him and Jack and send the message, that much was clear. Her actions might end up influencing the outcome of the war. But before anything more could be said, the door was thrown open again. "Elizabeth," Kate called, her alarm palpable as she and Captain Lorne rushed into the room, "one of the guards on the thief just reported that Laura escorted Vala out of her room."

"What?" Elizabeth and Daniel demanded in unison.

"Laura was with Vala?" Daniel queried, bewildered.

"I thought you had asked for her," Elizabeth replied.

"Not this afternoon..." He trailed off, suddenly thinking of Vala kissing him and how random it had seemed. Then he looked about and reached for the sheath of his knife.

The blade was gone.

Daniel's temper slipped. "That little wench!"

"Daniel!" Elizabeth chided, surprised at his rudeness.

"Vala has my knife!" he bellowed back, already mentally thrashing himself for his stupidity. How had he not noticed before now? He started for the door, the Lorne swinging into place behind him.

"Laura said the phrase we established as a code for danger," Lorne informed him, looking anxious. "I've already dispatched my men to intercept them, but we have no idea where they are, and the manor is not a place that is easily searched."

"Instruct the gatekeepers to block the entrances," Daniel ordered. "Hopefully Laura will not lead her to the exit directly."

Lorne nodded once and bolted off. Daniel looked back at Kate. "Find her husband," he said simply.

Her eyes widened. "I don't want to be the one to tell him that–"

"Just do it. Elizabeth, remain here!"

He didn't hear whatever protests Elizabeth offered as the door closed behind him and two black-clad guards positioned themselves outside it. He hurried to join the search for Vala and her hostage.

*~*~*~*

Laura knew her best hope was to stall. She was betting heavily that Vala had seen little of the manor before her capture. She had to walk purposefully, as though she knew exactly where she was going as she led Vala a level below the main floor, into the kitchens that hovered just above the river.

Unfortunately, Vala knew the building better than Laura hoped. She grabbed Laura by the arm and whirled her into a dark alcove. "What are you doing?" she hissed. "You're supposed to be getting me out of here, not shoving me off into the hired help!"

"I'm sorry!" Laura whispered, her heart pounding madly. "I've only been here a few days!"

Vala glanced around. "Come on," she said. "I'm dressed like a servant anyway, and if anyone got suspicious and sent guards after us, they're not likely to find us here."

Of course, Laura had brought Vala down here in the hope of Daniel and Captain Lorne looking immediately among the servants. But it was crowded in the kitchen, and as they made their way through, she could tell that the guards would have a hard time seeing them if they came looking. As it was, they were themselves struggling to move through the rooms, pushing their way past servants carrying foodstuffs from one place to another, pulling bread from ovens, and preparing supper for the lords above them.

They had made it almost all the way to the other end of the manor when a man shouted behind them. Vala gave up the pretense, grabbing Laura's arm and taking off toward the stairs at the end of the corridor.

As they ran, Laura cast a look back and saw guards pushing kitchen staff aside to follow. "Where are you taking me?" Laura yelled as she and the thief climbed the stairs.

"As far as I have to," Vala replied cryptically.

At the top of the stairs, a group of guards was passing in the wrong direction, but Vala and Laura were making enough noise by that point that they heard immediately and turned. Vala only sped up, dragging Laura along. They were within sight of the exit now. The sounds of pursuit were growing louder.

But the guards were not fast enough, nor the gatekeepers trying to block the way. The women squeezed past, just eluding capture, but as they crossed the bridge, Vala's hand slipped off of Laura's arm. Laura immediately stumbled to a halt.

"What are you doing?" Vala demanded, stopping herself and raising the knife. "Let's go!"

Laura glanced at the river and then back at Vala, who seemed to realize too late what Laura was thinking. But before the older woman could reach her, Laura climbed onto the low wall of the bridge and leapt off, plunging into the water below.

It was a shock to her body, as the water far colder than she would have anticipated. The fall had been greater than she'd hoped as well, but as she surfaced, she seemed to be unharmed. She looked up to see Vala leaning over the wall above her for a moment before the woman disappeared from view.

Laura took a moment to catch her breath, and then began to swim back toward the pylons underneath the manor.

*~*~*~*

Daniel was at the top of a flight of stairs when he saw the two women racing down the corridor below. As if Laura's red braid wouldn't have given her away, the half dozen guardsmen turning to follow them certainly would have. Daniel rushed down the stairs, two at a time, all the while thinking that if anything happened to Laura, Elizabeth would kill him.

But when he reached the exit, he saw the tall, dark-haired Vala on the other side of the bridge with several men in pursuit, and Laura was nowhere to be seen. Daniel's heart seized in terror.

Captain Lorne came running up from the kitchens as Daniel stopped. "My lord?" he said.

"I saw Laura just a moment ago," he said. "She was with Vala, and now she's not."

Daniel thought of the bridge and the river below, and he darted over to the low rock wall. The water below rippled with the current so it was impossible to see any sign of disturbance. There was no sign of Laura from the other side of the bridge either. Where in the world had she gotten off to?

"Lord Daniel!" Lorne called from the other end of the bridge. Daniel ran to follow Lorne, who was himself racing towards the stable. Laura was still missing, but Daniel pushed that aside for now. If they caught the thief, finding Laura wouldn't be far behind.

The guards were converging on the stables, but even as they approached, a horse came pelting out. Vala was clinging to the animal's bare back. She charged the entrance where Daniel and Lorne and the rest of the men were approaching. Knowing better than to stand in the way of a galloping horse, they all jumped to one side or another. Daniel knocked into a guard, larger than he, and fell to the ground.

As Vala rode past, he could have sworn she _grinned_ at him.

It took him a few moments to realize what _else_ was wrong with the picture. As Lorne helped him back up to his feet, he looked at the retreating rider, his temper finally, utterly snapping. "Damn it to hell!" he yelled.

The remaining guards, the stable boys and Lorne all looked at him in concern. "What is it?" Lorne asked.

Daniel threw his hands up in the air. "She stole my horse!"

He saw the other men, including Lorne, biting back grins, but Daniel ignored it, fuming silently. This was one too many insults on top of injuries in the last month for any man to bear calmly.

As guardsmen raced their horses out of the stable after the thief, Lorne caught Daniel's attention. "We have to find Laura," he said.

Daniel sighed. "The queen will kill me if we don't."

"I think her husband might be a more immediate obstacle," Lorne remarked lowly. Over his shoulder Daniel saw Carson was coming out of the entrance to the manor, Kate close behind him.

Daniel closed his eyes. Lorne was right. _Carson_ was going to kill him.

"My lord! What's going on?" the doctor demanded. "Where is my wife?"

Daniel glanced at Kate, whose own expression was more anxious for Laura than sympathetic for Daniel's current situation. "I don't know," he said, defeated. "She was with Vala, and now she's not. I have no idea where she is."

"And what were you thinking, leaving her alone with a criminal?" Carson suddenly bellowed. Daniel had seen the doctor assuming authority in a medical situation, but now the man was beside himself with rage. "Where were the guards who have followed her since the attack on Kate? Why was she so bereft of occupation with the queen that she even had time for this nonsense? _Where is my wife_?"

Daniel opened his mouth a couple times, trying to say anything, but in the end he was saved by a sloshing sound behind them, for there was Laura, coming through the gate from the manor, soaking wet from head to toe.

Carson turned and looked as well "Laura!" he cried, running back across the bridge and embracing her tightly. "Laura, what happened?"

"Did she push you into the river?" Kate asked, alarmed. Lorne looked equally unsettled. No doubt they were both remembering Kate's plunge into the channel the previous winter.

Laura managed to pull herself away from Carson a little. "No," she said, pushing wet hair away from her face. "I jumped in."

Everyone stared for a moment. "Why on earth would you do something like that?" Carson asked.

"She was using me as a hostage, Carson," Laura said irritably. "I had no idea how long that would go on, and I thought perhaps the guards would feel less need for restraint with me out of the picture."

Hugging his wife again, Carson shot another dark look at Daniel.

Kate held up her hand to prevent another tirade against the duke. "Wait," she said, "how did you get back into the manor?"

"Through the kitchens," Daniel and Lorne said at once. Daniel was not surprised that Lorne knew that entrance as well.

Laura nodded. "There's an entrance to the kitchens in one of the arches down below," she explained. "Lady Catherine told me they use it to deliver supplies by boat. I swam over there and climbed up."

Kate shook her head. "I'm not sure Lord Jack can scold you for climbing on things ever again," she said, a small smile on her face.

Lorne smiled a little too, but it faded as he looked to the hills where his men and Vala had disappeared. "There's nothing left to do but wait, my lord," he said to Daniel. "My men will not give up the chase until after nightfall, but until then there is nothing for us to do out here."

Daniel nodded. "Laura, the queen is probably very worried about you," he said.

"And believe me, you want dry clothes," Kate added.

Laura laughed a little, visibly shivering as they headed back inside.

*~*~*~*

Laura was beginning to feel a new sympathy for Kate. Both Carson and Captain Lorne were going to be watching her like hawks even though she'd really come to no harm. Kate had been living with this scrutiny for weeks now, thanks to Lord Simmons. Laura hoped the lack of visible bruises would let her escape from the captain's grim looks more quickly.

Her husband's concern was another matter.

She yielded to the general consensus that Carson take her to their room early and leave attending the queen to Kate for the rest of the night, knowing arguing was useless. They retired to their room where, in spite of the warm summer weather, a fire had been kindled. Carson insisted she strip off her wet things immediately and her maid bundled the clothing up to take it away to the laundry to dry. Once she had pulled on a clean nightdress, Carson wrapped a blanket around her shoulders carefully.

Even though in her heart Laura did not believe Vala Mal Doran had really wanted to harm her, when Carson pulled her into his arms, she rested her head on his shoulder gratefully.

His hands rubbed up and down her back. "How are you, love?"

Too much had occurred in the last few hours for her to say anything but, "Exhausted?"

He chuckled lightly, although she could feel the tension still in his body. He pressed a kiss against the top of her head. "I told you I knew there would be hard days in our marriage, but I admit, I was hoping they would not arrive so soon. And I did wish they would never involve any risk that came from your service to the queen." Laura stiffened in spite of herself and in spite of the assurances Carson had given her only days ago. But then he continued dryly, "I never thought the danger would come from a common thief."

It was her turn to laugh and she looked up at him. "I'm certain Mistress Mal Doran would object to being labeled a common anything."

He smiled a little, but his attention was focused on her face. His fingers skimmed the curve of her cheek and his voice dropped lower. "You're sure you're not hurt?"

The light touch on her skin made her shiver. "I am fine, Carson."

For a moment he looked as if he wished to say something else, but instead he leaned down and kissed her gently. The tenderness of his touch gave her goose bumps and Laura fit herself against him easily. She wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

Carson groaned and then took her mouth urgently. She was too tired to think of anything but returning the kiss. The blanket fell to the floor and his hands removed the nightdress she had just put on. He moved swiftly and almost roughly to strip her bare. Carson had always been careful and gentle with her, but now he seemed beyond such niceties.

His franticness was contagious and Laura found herself growing lightheaded with desire as he touched her. She helped him free himself from his own garments. When they were both naked, Carson tugged her back into the circle of his arms, his mouth trailing down her neck and then moving lower as his hands began to caress bare flesh. Laura dragged her nails over his skin, drawing a growl from him.

His touch ignited a fire within her, and she fell into the heat, too caught up in him to think. Her body ached with wanting almost painfully, every touch of his making the need worse. She rocked instinctively, unable to touch or kiss him enough no matter how hard she tried. When his arms tightened she merely held on as he lifted her from her feet and into his embrace.

Then she was summarily tossed onto the bed and landed on her back. Carson was above her instantly, his weight pressing her down, his hands seemingly everywhere at once. Soon his body was between her thighs, moving within her until her fingers dug into his shoulders. A wild desperation seized her and Laura writhed until the wave of pleasure inside of her crested, leaving her shaking and choking out his name in a strangled voice.

A few mindless minutes passed before she heard her own name muttered between broken breaths. She was barely aware of him settling them both in the bed, too tired to do more than curl into his warmth and feel a languid sense of satisfaction finally filled before she fell asleep.

*~*~*~*

The riders pursued Vala until nightfall. When clouds rolled in, blocking the moon and the stars, they were forced to return to the manor without their quarry. Elizabeth thought it unlikely that they would catch the thief, so really all that could be done was to be vigilant and send out warnings to the surrounding provinces to watch for her.

That night, long after Laura had entrusted herself to her husband's care and Kate was fast asleep, Elizabeth lay awake, though her mind was far from thoughts of Vala Mal Doran. The news about Ba'al haunted her. Daniel was not sure they could believe any part of Vala's story, and certainly some part of it had to be verified before it was given any credence. But that did not stop her heart from whispering that her letter to Ba'al had done exactly what she hoped it would. If there was discord among the Goa'uld lords who had invaded Caldora, it might speed an end to the invasion.

When morning came, she resolved to quit that line of thought. There would be plenty of time to ruminate on her southern neighbor's condition, but she had only two more days in Langford. The visit had been planned for much longer, but the situation in the country and out of it required her to return to Atlantis immediately. She would just have to wait until circumstances allowed her to return so she could enjoy the province more fully.

The room at the end of the corridor, just a little way down from where Elizabeth had been sleeping, was full of various items, from portraits to toys. It was all rather chaotic, but to Elizabeth, it was a wonderful sight. She stepped forward from the doorway and carefully ran her hand over a pretty, light-colored lute that lay on a table. She could tell that the instrument needed tuning and improvements, but that hardly mattered. It, and everything else here, had belonged to her mother.

Of all the many reasons she had always longed to come to Langford, seeing her mother's birthplace had always been foremost in her heart. After a long day, she had made a pilgrimage to seek out this room before she had to leave the province.

Marcus and Master Stackhouse had remained outside the door, granting her privacy as she beheld the belongings her mother had left behind when she had married. She had a number of her mother's things in Atlantis, but they were the legacy of a grown woman, a queen. This room housed the remnants of a girlhood, a part of her mother Elizabeth had not had time to get to know.

"She loved to play that lute," Daniel said quietly from behind her. Elizabeth didn't turn to face him, but listened, not all that surprised he had followed her here. "When she agreed to marry your father, she wanted so badly to take it with her so that she might still be able to play it. When everything was packed, however, there was no room for it. I promised I'd bring it with me when I next visited Atlantis, but when I reminded her of that some months later in a letter, she told me not to bother. One of Edmund's friends had given her a new one. Still, I never saw her play any other instrument with as much enthusiasm."

"Why?" Elizabeth asked.

She imagined that he shrugged. "I think it was because her mother – our grandmother – gave it to her when she was a girl. She was only twelve when Grandmother died, so Margaret treasured every gift she gave her."

"I see."

Elizabeth swept her eyes over the other objects in the room. She saw an old, exquisitely-made rocking horse, a few dolls that had signs of wear of them, even brushes and combs on the dressing table. Then she focused on a portrait hanging on the wall.

It was of her mother, but it did not appear to be a conventional portrait. Many portraits that she had seen in her life so often focused exclusively on the subject, while leaving the background as simple as possible. This painting, however, was much more sophisticated. Her mother was beautiful, smiling as though she had a secret she wasn't about to tell, but there was an entire scene behind her. It was the gently rolling hills of Langford, and the manor had been painted in the top left corner, appearing to shine in the afternoon sun.

She heard Daniel move up beside her and even spotted him out of the corner of her eye. "The entire family had portraits painted that year," he told her. "I remember being irritated at having to sit so still for hours as the painter worked, wanting to get back to my studies. Eventually, I proved so unmanageable that they arranged my sittings to coincide with Margaret's. We would sit there and the entire time she would tell me little stories to keep me occupied." He paused, and then added with a chuckle, "The painters were much relieved at her assistance."

Elizabeth wanted to laugh, but was distracted by the fact that Daniel stood only a foot from her, and yet it felt like he was on the other side of the country. Normally, he would have touched her shoulder in a comforting manner, or would have taken her hand, just a small gesture of reassurance as she walked through the scattered remains of her mother's life.

But Daniel's harsh words about John and her response still hung between them. His inability to accept that she could not receive the affections and proposal of one man while longing in her heart for another had angered her greatly. Had he truly thought her so shallow? However, Elizabeth could admit now that she had not handled his reaction as well as she should have. John had always stepped up to defend her in a way that was almost instinctive, and now it seemed that she was coming to reciprocate. But Daniel had been at her side her whole life, and she owed him more respect than that, even when he angered her.

Perhaps he was coming to the same conclusion, because he spoke again. "Elizabeth, I feel… badly at how things are between us."

Elizabeth turned to look at him. "As do I," she responded. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Elizabeth waited. She was not trying to be intentionally difficult, but Daniel had begun all of this. It was not for her to finish it.

"I am sorry for my accusations about your courtship with Prince Radek," he said finally. "I know you have judged his suit fairly, and did not deny him impulsively."

She nodded and sighed. "Cousin, I promise you, I did exactly that. I allowed him to court me, and he was wonderful. I even allowed him a few more liberties than I'd allow from most other men." At Daniel's shocked face, she could not help but smile a little. "Do not be alarmed," she assured him. "Radek has done nothing to dishonor me."

Daniel stared at her searchingly, but soon relaxed. "Good," he replied. "I would hate to cause an incident by challenging the Prince of Iolan to defend my cousin's reputation." They both grinned, but then he continued more seriously. "I just want you to find someone who will take care of you, Elizabeth. Yours is a hard life."

"I understand." She glanced around and then added, "But it's not as though I do not have hordes of people taking care of me." He started to reply, but she held up her hand to cut him off. "I know, I know. None of you can give me the heir I need."

Daniel winced. "It is more than that, Elizabeth. I believed that Radek would have been a good consort for you. The political influence and training, of course, but it's obvious to anyone that he loves you, and not just because you are the queen."

"But I don't love him, Daniel," she replied, staring at him beseechingly. "It would have been different, perhaps, if he had been a stranger entirely. But I know him well and count him as a dear and trusted friend. How could I accept him, knowing that I do not return his regard? How is that fair to him?" She shook her head. "No, I couldn't hurt Radek in such a way. He does not deserve a wife whose heart is filled with thoughts of another man."

"I do not disagree with you on that score," he admitted. "But John of Sheppard – surely you have to concede–"

"No. Let that go, Daniel," Elizabeth interrupted, keeping her tone firm. "We can only wait and see what the future brings us. Just… let it be."

She could tell that he wanted to protest, to continue the subject, perhaps to convince her of what he was trying to convey, but she held her ground. She was done discussing John of Sheppard with any man, at this point.

After several moments, Daniel's shoulders slumped. "Very well." His fingers tapped restlessly. "I would suggest when the college questions you, as they no doubt will, that you say the discovery of Simmons occupied your full attention for much of your stay in Iolan, and do not explain anything further to anyone else. If they persist in questioning, I'm certain the queen can find a way to silence such insolence." His eyebrows rose slightly, looking a little mischievous.

"Agreed," she nodded. "Now, I think you said that there were other areas of the manor that Mother loved?" Elizabeth smiled a little sadly. "We have only this evening to explore the manor together. I believe you mentioned something around the gardens, where she pushed you into the rose bushes and earned you a scolding from the chief gardener and Grandfather both?"

Daniel laughed outright at that point, and much to her relief, the tension in the room began to ease. He offered her his arm, and the two began to leave her mother's room. "Oh, yes, Margaret loved that place," he said. "I think you'll like it very much."


End file.
